Rappelling skills have helped local paramedics save a life

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Warren County paramedics Kenny Moffitt and Shane Lewis scale a cliff during recent training at Fall Creek Falls as they practice cliff rescue techniques. (Photo provided)

Putting their skills and equipment to work by pulling a 9-year-old girl from a well on Knight Road last week, ambulance service personnel say a grant which afforded them the tools has already paid for itself.

“It was worth every cent just with the little girl we helped,” said paramedic Kenny Moffitt, who descended the 40-foot well to pull Carla Contreras from the chilling water.

The grant obtained by the county paid for a week-long class at Fall Creek Falls recently, where members of the ambulance service including Moffitt, Shane Lewis, Sandra Sullivan, Terry Hall and Bryan Jennings underwent training on numerous types of rescue scenarios.

“Like was the case last week, it’s much better to go in with the right equipment and techniques when doing a rescue, rather than just making it up as we go along,” Moffitt said.

Among the skills taught at the class were rappelling, one-on-one rescue, cliff rescue, vertical rescue, self-rescue, pulley systems for patient rescue and change-overs. The broad range of techniques, Moffitt said, may prove invaluable here.

“I think this training is very important given the layout of Warren County,” Moffitt said. “We have Cumberland Caverns, Rock Island, silos, water towers and even wells as we found out, all of which could present a hazard and some day lead to the need for rescue.”

Moffitt pointed out prior to the specialized training, the closest remote rescue team was about an hour away.

Along with training, the grant afforded gear for the rescue team which includes rappelling and climbing gear, helmets and head lamps for cave and night rescue.

“The good thing is that if we need it, we know we have the equipment and personnel,” Moffitt said.